Grading-machine.



X. F. COUNARD.

GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1911.

1,276,:87. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

X. F CouNAnD INVENTOR.

fig A TTORNE Y.

X,.F. CGUNARD.

GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION Hm) APR. :1. ran.

1 ,276,876 v Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

ZSHEETSSHEET 2 9 F (7 l8 9 45 /0 cl? I 49 48 fit 5 0 44 g z BYKW 7 4 ATTORNEY.

xmxsa-m 1 m F BRUSSELS, w cqlvsm GRAD N ac am- L am-sec.

To aZZ wh-om it'may concern:

Be it known that I, XAVIER 'GoUNARn,

' a ci-tizenof'the United States of America,

residing at'Brussels, inthe county of'EDoo-r and State of *Wisconsin,,lliLVE/lDVGIl'bQtl156E tain new and useful Improvements in Grading-Machi'nes, of which the follo-wingis a; specification, referencebeingihad therein .to the accompanying drawings .1

The invention relates to grad i-ng machines and has for its object' theprovision'of .a .ma-; chine that is mounted on Wheels and; includes aplurality of seraper plates adapted to; level earth, such as isnecessary forctlliefconstructiontof road beds or for similar purposes.

further object constitutes the arrangementof the scraper plateon anauxiliary frame adapted to beraise'd 01*1l0W816Cl,\Vifsll respect "tothe main carryingframe of; the machine, and adapted tobe turned fromside to side so as to adjust the scraper plates with respect to thedirection .of movement in which'the machine is conveyed. v

It is also'an obj ect of the invention to provide means whereby {theauxiliary. frame 1nay be turned about at -centrally located 7 pivot.pin.

't StiIl another. obj ect constitutes the provision of "asingleslevencapable of fitting the various adjustments referredfito,such-that w an operator can conveniently raise, loyver, or

i turn the"auxiliaryframelatihis .pleasure.

' To the'accoinpli slnnent of the general ;objects, stated, and othersgwhichivvill more 3 5 fully- ;appear,theifpreferred, embodiment of "theinvention-'- consists iin' the, construction and arrangement of-qearts-to:==be described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and"defined in the appended :claims. :In

. "1 ,is"at0p plan viewiofithe machine constructed in accordance with:the inven- K2 is a" frontejelevation of-'Jthe 1113,

presentfniodificationfisfsupported-by a pair specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed A vi n, 191 7. Seria1.No.162;7;20.

Q w Q b.1113 t W hin the scope of the invention to provide a greaternumber of Wheels and. to increase accordingly the length. of themachine, ifso desired. The longitudinal beams 3 are provided-ion theunder-side with depending journal boxes 5., to receive the axle ,6 uponwhich thejsupportmg wheels 4 are mounted and whieh{aXle iS formed:integral with acollar 7 abutting against the inner side of thejournal-their so as-to pnevent displgacement' of-the aXle, inthesjourn'al box in longitudinal direction. The: protruding; end 8 ofthe, wheel axle is bent upwardly to form ,an angle of, 19D degrees withthe other, portion of; the, axle, for a purpose presentlygobs-described. [nter mediate the transverse beams 2 ofthe Eniain orcarrying frame 1- of the machine, a crossbeam 9 is provided ,Whichataits terfifihal portions is formed With apertures to permit passage ofthe upstanding ends .8 of,.tl e

Wheel axle for the purpose, of ro i guiding means for; the cross-,piece-9.,1When the latter.;as will here nafter appear -is raised-or lowered.The QLIQ$S b6Hl1l 9g-carries a bolt 10, to which is secured theauxiliary frame, generally designated .11, and

which comprises the; longitudinal. beams 12 interconnectedby ;a,plurality of rods or shafts 13, I spacedapartand serving as cartudinalbeamsll-ZI of the auxiliaryi frames by means of bolts, Wooden screws,or, any. other. suitable-or approved-fastening meansQ I'Ihe scraper,plates 14 are suspended ,lfrom' vthe shafts 13 by means offasteningfpiecesg 16, which are secured atone endto the scraper plate inany approved 'mannenwvliile their other 1 ends are bent, around theshafts 18 to form :a sleeve thereon. Thus it ,is ,seen. that the scraperplatesare freely suspended. from the shafts; 13 and are; capable ofoscillating forwardly and, backward 1y: .I n .order to maintain :aresilient, but nevertheless sufficient, engagement between the scraperplates and an abutment. onridgeof earthstobe removed, springs 17 arearranged bothatthe intermediateportion 0f thelshaft 13; and ,theterminal portions, thereof,: the-ends whereof contact with the frontandrear sidesofthe scraper rplates respectively. This .means'f of securingthe scraper plates insures a suflicient engagement with a slightresistance to be removed, without, however, making the yielding of saidplates impossible when an unusually hard resistance, such as a buriedstone or a piece of iron, is encountered. The auxiliary frame 11 isadapted to be raised or lowered or turned about the bolt 10 by propermanipulation of a lever 18 arranged in proximity to the seat 19 of thedriver or operator, so that the aforementioned adj ustments may beconveniently effected by the driver while seated. The lever 18, as shownin Figs. 4 and 5, is mounted upon a pin 20 journaled in boxes 21, 21. Aweight-22 is suspended from the lever 18 to normally maintain the samein upright or vertical position. Y

A pair oflevers 23 and 24 are loosely mounted on the pin 20, each ofwhich comprises an upper portion 25' and a lower portion 26. The upperportion 25 terminates in a sleeve, through which the lower portion 26projects, and a spring 27 is interposed betweenthe upper end of thelower portion and the adjacent side of the sleeve portion of the upperpart, so as to maintain the upper and lower parts of each leverconstantly in engagement. The upper parts 25 are provided with a tooth28 adapted to enter the recesses of a notched quadrant 29 and 30respectively, whereby the levers 23 and 24 are secured in adjustedposition. The lower parts of the levers 23 and are forked to receivelinks 31 and 32. The lever 18 is equipped with locking and releasehandles 33 and 34 at its upper end, and rods 35 and 36 respectivelyinterconnect the handles with pawls 37 and 38 extending through anenlarged central portion of the lever 18, and slidably fitted therein.The pawls 37 and 38 are equipped with a tooth 39 and 40 respectively,and springs '41 and 42 interposed between lugs of the lever 18 and thepawls serve to maintain said pawls in inoperative or disengagedposition. -When it is desired, for instance, to manipulate lever 23 andthereby actuate the link 31, the handle 33 is forced against the lever18, whereby the tooth 39 of the pawl 37 is raised and the upper portion25 of the lever 23 is released from the notched quadrant 29. Togetherwith the raising of the'upper lever portion 25, the main lever 18 isinterlocked with said portion,'so that oscillation of the main leversimultaneously causes a movement of the lever 23." The link 31 extendsbackwardly from the'lever 23 and is articulated with a lever 44 securedto a square shaft 45 provided with terminal rounded portions journaledin bearings 46 provided on the longitudinal beams3 of the main frame 1.The square shaft 45 at one end has an arm 47 connected by a link 48 to adouble lever 49 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the bearing46. The free end of said lever 49 is secured to the cross piece 9. 3From the foregoing it is obvious that upon oscillation of the lever 18,when the lever 23 is locked thereto, the link 31 is actuated to moveforwardly or backwardly, so that the square shaft is forced to rotatewith its rounded terminal portions in the journal bearings 46 andsimultaneously the arm 47 of the shaft rocks the lever 49 upwardly anddownwardly, in accordance with the direction of movement of the lever18, whereby the cross-piece 9 is raised or lowered. The auxiliary framebeing secured to the cross-piece by means of the bracket and the bolt10, follows the movement of the cross-piece 9, so that the scraperplates 14 will be raised or lowered at the pleasure of the operator. Thelink 32, articulated with the lower part of the lever 24, is secured toa lever 50 fitted to a square portion 51 of the frame bracket. When thelever 24 is actuated to move forwardly or backwardly, the arm 50 isturned in a horizontal plane, so that the auxiliary frame, andconsequently the associated scraper plates will be placed at an anglewith respect to the normal transverse position.

lVhile the drawings illustrate the prefered embodiment of the invention,it is un derstood that alterations and changes may be made in theconstruction. and arrangement of the parts. I, therefore, do not intendto confine myself to the details exactly as shown, but want to availmyself of all such, departures which fairly fall within the scope of myinvention, as pointed out in the appended claims.

1. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a crosspiecerotatably carrying said auxiliary frame, said cross-piece beingadjustably'supported by the wheeled frame, a lever, connections betweensaid lever and said crosspiece, and separate connections between saidlever and the auxiliary frame.

2. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates freely suspended therefrom, means formaintaining the-scraperplates in operative position, a cross-piecerotatably carrying said auxiliary frame, said crosspiece beingadjustably supported by. the wheeled frame, a lever, connections betweensaid lever and said cross-piece, and separate connections between saidlever and the auxiliary frame.

3. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a crosspiecerotatably carrying said auxiliary frame, said cross-piece beingadjustably supported by the wheeled frame, a lever, connections betweensaid lever and said crosspiece, and connections between said lever andthe auxiliar frame, said lever being adapted to selectively actuate saidfirst and second named connections.

4. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a crosspiecerotatably carrying said auxiliary frame, said cross-piece beingadjustably supported by the wheeled frame, a pair of levers placed injuxtaposed relation, said levers having connections with said crosspieceand said auxiliary frame respectively, and a manipulating leverinterposed between said pair of levers and adapted to be selectivelycoupled with said levers.

5. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a crosspiecerotatably I carrying said auxiliary frame, said cross-piece beingadjustably supported by the wheeled frame, a pair of levers eachcomprising an upper and a lower part, said upper part being yieldinglyretained in fixed relation to said lower part, means for locking theupper parts of said lever in adjusted position, a third lever interposedbetween said pair of levers, and means on said third lever fordisengaging the upper parts of said pair of levers and interlocking thesame with said third lever, substantially as described.

6. In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a transverse shaftjournaled in the main frame, a

double lever supported on said main frame, connections between saidtransverse shaft and one end of the double lever, the other end of saiddouble lever being connected to said cross-piece, a manipulating lever,connections between said lever and said transverse shaft, andconnections between said manipulating lever and the auxiliary frame,substantially as described. 7

7 In a grading machine, the combination with a wheeled frame, of anauxiliary frame, scraper plates suspended therefrom, a cross piece, apivot pin connecting said auxiliary frame to said cross-piece, atransverse shaft journaled in bearings of the main frame, a double.lever pivotally supported on the main frame, connections between saidtransverse shaft and one end of said double lever, the other end of thedouble lever being connected to said cross-piece, guiding means forsaid'cross-piece, a pair of levers placed in juxtaposition, each ofwhich comprises an upper and a lower part, notched quadrants for theupper parts of said pair of levers and adapted to receive a tooth ofsaid upper parts, a manipulating lever interposed between said pair oflevers and adapted to selectively disengage the upper parts from saidnotched quadrant and to simultaneously interlock said upper parts withsaid manipulating lever, and connections between said pair of levers ofsaid auxiliar frame and said transverse shaft respective y.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 7 I signature.

XAVIER 1 COUNARD.

$0910: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

